2000
#5,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,374
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.36
Uncommon Last name
Vicente
A surname of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin "vincentius," meaning "conquering" or "victorious."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,808 Americans carry the last name Vicente. That puts it at #2,917 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vicente surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Vicente with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,823
Census rank
#2,917
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,041 bearers of the surname Vicente in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2917th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vicente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vicente
The surname Vicente originated in Portugal, likely derived from the Latin name Vincentius, meaning "conquering" or "victorious." It emerged during the medieval period, between the 12th and 15th centuries, when surnames became more widespread.
In its early days, the name Vicente was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly around the cities of Porto and Braga. It is believed to have been adopted as a surname by individuals who lived near churches or monasteries dedicated to Saint Vincent, a revered martyr from the 4th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Vicente can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Vicente, suggesting its establishment as a family name during that time.
In the 15th century, the name Vicente gained prominence with the birth of Gil Vicente (c. 1465-c. 1536), widely regarded as the father of Portuguese theater. He was a renowned playwright, poet, and actor who significantly influenced the development of Portuguese literature and drama.
Another notable figure was Diogo Vicente (1470-1540), a Portuguese explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his historic voyage around the world. Vicente played a crucial role in the expedition, serving as the captain of one of the ships and later taking command after Magellan's death.
During the Age of Exploration, the surname Vicente spread across the Portuguese Empire, with individuals bearing this name contributing to the exploration and settlement of various territories. For instance, João Vicente (c. 1500-1570) was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who led expeditions to Brazil and the Moluccas Islands.
In the artistic realm, Pedro Vicente (1639-1712) was a prominent Portuguese painter and engraver during the Baroque period, known for his religious works and portraits of nobility.
Furthermore, the name Vicente has been associated with places in Portugal, such as the town of São Vicente in the Algarve region, which likely derived its name from a church dedicated to Saint Vincent.
While the surname Vicente originated in Portugal, it has since been adopted in various Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, due to the cultural and linguistic ties between these regions and the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vicente
Among Census respondents with the surname Vicente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vicente bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vicente surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino75.5% · 9,096
- White9.7% · 1,170
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.5% · 1,141
- Black or African American2.7% · 327
- Two or more races1.3% · 157
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 150
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vicente
Vicente appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,789
+4,415 bearers (+69.3%)
Per 100,000 3.66
Rank movement Up 1,723 places
2020
#2,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,041
+1,252 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Up 409 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,049 | 6,374 | 2.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,326 | 10,789 | 3.66 | +4,415 bearers (+69.3%) | Up 1,723 places |
| 2020 | #2,917 | 12,041 | 4.03 | +1,252 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 409 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vicente surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,326 | #2,917 | 12.3% |
| Count | 10,789 | 12,041 | 11.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.66 | 4.03 | 10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vicente bearers went from 10,789 to 12,041 (+11.6% change). The surname moved up 409 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,326 to #2,917.
FAQ
Vicente surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vicente?
Name Census estimates that about 13,808 living Americans carry the surname Vicente. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,823 residents.
How common is Vicente?
Vicente ranks #2,917 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,041 people with the surname Vicente. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,808), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Vicente.
Has Vicente become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vicente went from 10,789 recorded bearers to 12,041. That is an increase of 1,252 (+11.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,326 to #2,917.
What does the Census say about the background of Vicente?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vicente, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vicente in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.5% (9,096 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vicente appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (75.5%), White (9.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vicente (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vicente mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin "vincentius," meaning "conquering" or "victorious." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vicente (4.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Vicente?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.